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Facebook said Wednesday it was taking measures to fact-check content and minimize "potential harm" during Israel's elections next month.

Chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg told a Tel Aviv conference that the social network was committed to "invest in safety in the lead-up to elections in Israel".

That included "minimizing potential harm, working with third party fact-checking organizations and setting new standards for ads transparency," Facebook said in a statement about the event, closed to journalists.

Sandberg's visit to the seaside commercial hub came a day after it emerged the platform had paid hundreds of contractors to listen to and transcribe snippets of users' conversations, amid heightened scrutiny of its data collection practices.

Facebook acknowledged the transcriptions, first reported by Bloomberg, telling the news agency that they were made with users' permission, but that the practice has nonetheless been stopped.

Facebook recently settled a record $5 billion fine with the US Federal Trade Commission for misusing users' private data.

Following heightened concern over use of the platform to spread fake stories, Facebook has signed contracts with several media outlets -- including AFP -- aimed at "fact-checking" widely shared content.